Wheel-guard.



No; 652363;. Y Patentd July 3, I900.

R. F. PBEUSSER. WHEEL GUARD.

(Application filed Dec. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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WHEEL-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 652,863, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed December 6, 1899. Serial No. 739,404. (No model) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. PREUSSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington,in the District of Golumbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object is to present a wheel-guard which in operation shall perform the functions usually confined to car-fenders-that is to say, a wheel-guard which normally will be above the road-bed, but which in cases of emergency may with rapidity and case be projected downward into such proximity to the road-bed as to pick up any object which may pass under the car, and thus be thoroughly effective in saving life and limb.

The present invention is adapted particularly for use in connection with railway streetcars, such as usually employed on suburban routes, wherein a fender, such as is required to be used within city limits, is generally dispensed with.

With the objects stated in view the invention is characterized, generally stated, in a wheel-guard, which may be of any ordinary construction and supported in such manner as to be readily responsive to pressure, which will tend to rock the same to bring the guard into operative proximity to the road-bed, and automatically operating means combined with the guard whereby normally to hold it out of contact with the road-bed and after operation automatically to return it to its normal position above the road-bed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a wheelguard, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated a form ofembodiment of my invention, it being understood that other forms of embodiment may be employed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, displaying so much of the lower portion of a street-car as is necessaryto renderclear an understanding of lmyinvention and showing, further,the wheelguard positioned thereon. Fig. 2 is adetail perspective View of the wheel-guard-actuating shaft. Fig. 3 is a similar View of the wheel-guard-actuatin g spring.

In Fig. 1, wherein the wheel-guard and its actuating mechanism are shown, a part only 'of the guard is shown, as well as its actuating mechanism, it being understood that the parts are duplicated, so thata description of one of each of the parts will serve for the remaining part.

(Not shown.)

Referring to the drawings, A designates the wheel-guard, the same comprising two side arms a, the arms being connected together and rendered rigid by cross-bars a a and a these bars to be made either tubular or solid, as may be preferred. To the bars a and a are connected resilient metallic strips a constituting the scoop, it being understood, however, that, if preferred, in lieu of the metallic strips ordinary rope or Wirenetting may be employed. The cross-bar a carries near each end adjacent to the side arms a a roller a, which is adapted when the guard is depressed to contact with the roadbed or with the track-rollers, as usual, thus to keep the wheel-guard from contact with the road-bed, which might tend to cause its destruction. The cross-bar a is journaled at its ends in brackets a, secured to suitable hangers or the like a supported from the car-floor, the pivotal point of the side arms are secured two upward and rearward curved or bent arms 19 to which are pivoted one' end of links 19 the other ends of which are pivotally connected with the side arms of the guard-frame A. Secured to this shaft B, preferably near its center, is a plate I), the free end of which is provided with a slot b in which works the lower end of a foot-lever O, the upper end of this lever projecting above the floor of the car adjacent to the dashboard and having a head 0, by which it may be depressed. Carried by the foot-lever 0 above the plate I) are two friction-rollers c (indicated in dotted lines,) which bear upon the plate on each side of the slot, and below the plate is a stop-pin 0 which serves to hold the plate against separation from the foot-lever. The foot-lever is held normally elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, by a spring D, preferably U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 3, and secured to the under side of the car-floor, the ends of the spring being provided with eyes (Z for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 3, while the loop of the spring passes around each side of and bears against the under side of the plate 11 It will be seen from the arrangement of the parts that, owing to the upward stress of the spring D, the guard will at all times be held elevated above the road-bed; but should it be desired to project the wheel-guard downward pressure upon the foot-lever C will through the arms b and links 19 project the guard downward into position to pick up any object which might pass under the car. Immediately upon pressure being removed from the foot-lever O the guard will through the spring D automatically resume its normal position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. The combination with a wheel-guard pivotally supported in such manner as to throw the weight of the guard to the rear of its pivotal points, of a rock-shaft carrying rearwardprojecting arms and a forward-projecting plate, links connecting the arms and the wheel-guard, and a foot-lever in engagement with the plate to project the guard into operative proximity to the road-bed, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wheel-guard pivotally supported in such manner as to throw the weight of the guard to the rear of its pivotal points, of a rock-shaft carrying rearwardprojecting arms and a forward-projecting plate, links connecting the arms and the wheel-guard, a foot-lever in engagement with the plate to project the guard into operative proximity to the road-bed, and a spring for exerting upward pressure on the plate,whercby, normally, to keep the guard out of contact with the road-bed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD F. PREUSSER.

WVitnesses:

R. G. DYRENFORTII, R. M. ELLIOTT. 

